Cliche
by Krinos
Summary: Maybe this was what she was missing in life - the exhilaration of something new, something fresh in her life, to break away from the routine she'd held onto for so long. Yui/Ayano.
1. Of Window Seats

**Set after the series, when Yui is in her first year of high school.**

* * *

To this day, Yui found it _incredibly_ cliche how she - the quiet kid - was assigned the seat at the corner of the classroom, the one right next to a window she could stare out of in deep thought. Not that she didn't indulge in the cliche - she certainly spent a fair amount of time staring off into the buildings across Nanamori High School, as well as the streets winding along said buildings that, on the days she was lucky, had people walking to and fro for her to observe. On the _really_ lucky days (lucky, as they were nearing the start of winter), she'd be able to appreciate a clear blue sky, and maybe even point out to herself an interesting cloud formation.

Today wasn't one of those days. The autumn showers had descended upon them, and Yui found that her afternoons were increasingly dotted with overcast skies. The loss of her sunny blue skies meant the loss of Yui's source of mid-class distraction, as the walls and rooftops of the nearby buildings never changed and the cold meant there were no passersby for her to watch. She turned her head from the window, her eyes darting around the classroom for something else to take her mind off of her teacher's mindless rambling.

Her eyes fell upon a ponytail of violet hair beside her, before she sharply adjusted her gaze back to their maths teacher.

 _I really need to stop looking at her!_ Yui chastised herself.

It was kind of creepy, really, how much she'd caught herself idly staring at Ayano recently. Sure, they'd become good friends; walking back from school with someone every single day would do that to you. Still, it wasn't like she stared at Kyouko all the time - not that it would have been easy to, since the blonde had been assigned the front seat. It seemed her reputation in middle school preceded her.

Yui, once again restless, elected to (shamelessly) shift her eyes back to Ayano, who was currently biting at the edge of her pen, clearly in deep thought. Maths was definitely not one of Ayano's strong suits (the exact opposite could be said for Yui - hence the lack of attention in class), and Yui let herself enjoy the sight - Ayano's face, cheeks lightly dusted with pink from the chill. Her soft lips, wrapped around a ballpoint pen, one Yui recognized as Ayano's favorite brand. Her legs, gently swinging underneath the table - a sign of the violet-haired girl's focus when tackling a difficult problem, just another one of Ayano's endearing quirks.

...when did Ayano get so cute? And more importantly, when (and why!?) did Yui mentally categorize all of her friend's habits?

Yui had evidently stared for too long (or more likely, was too obvious about it), because her subject of attention paused her scribbling, shifting her violet eyes up to meet Yui's gaze. She tilted her head in confusion, the silent question of _what's up?_ on her face.

On any other day - any other day at all - Yui would've rapidly looked away in embarrassment. But today wasn't any other day. Today was a day where grey skies and cold winds stole her precious window view, and Ayano's violet eyes were the only view she could get. ( _And what a nice view it is,_ Yui thought to herself absently).

Much to her own surprise, Ayano didn't look away either. Yui felt like she was caught in some spell of hers; violet pools drawing her in. After what seemed like hours, Ayano broke off the stare, returning to her work - her cheeks, Yui noticed, a slightly stronger shade of pink. Yui rested her chin on her hand and tried (and utterly failed) to pay attention to the class. In her furtive glances towards her original subject of interest, she noticed Ayano's legs were rigidly planted on the floor, as if she was trying to rid herself of any distractions.

What was it about Ayano that she found so fascinating? These days, she found her thoughts increasingly filled with Sugiura Ayano and all her unique, charming quirks; if she didn't know any better, she'd claim to have a crush on her violet-haired friend.

 _Do I know any better, though?_

Her blood froze in her veins as she considered the possibility. Up until then, love had never really crossed Yui's mind. Sure, it was great watching others, and she was happy when Himawari and Sakurako finally got their shit together and started dating, but she'd never really considered the possibility that _she_ would now be the one in love with someone else in their group. It was strange; utterly, utterly strange - and decidedly non-cliche - that it would be _Ayano_ of all people.

Yui spent the rest of the lesson simply alternating her gaze between the blackboard and the grey sky outside, trying to think of other reasons to explain her recent fascination. She had none.

* * *

"You're running faster than usual today, Yui. Something on your mind?"

Chitose was, in Yui's opinion, the most perceptive of the group. The white-haired girl didn't hide it, either; Yui felt most of Chitose's questions were really just disguised statements. And she certainly wasn't wrong this time: Yui had been questioning, among other things, her own sexuality, as well as her feelings for a certain violet-haired girl.

"No, I've just been pretty stressed recently, and I guess I'm trying to work it off now." Which wasn't _entirely_ a lie - Yui's method of destressing was running. She just conveniently failed to specify the exact type of stress she was going through.

Chitose glanced at her, and for a second Yui was sure the other girl was going to probe further, but after a few moments she picked up on Yui's hint, and simply replied: "Well, high school is pretty stressful. Still, don't run too fast; we still have three laps ahead of us."

Yui found Chitose's words mildly ironic, as it was clearly the white-haired girl that was pushing herself to meet Yui's quickened I'm-running-away-from-my-feelings pace. "Sorry." Yui gave a small smile as she slowed down.

Yui - and the rest of their group - had been surprised to hear that Chitose had taken up the track and field club this year, as opposed to joining the Student Council like Ayano had. 'It's important to keep healthy' was the only explanation any of them got out of the girl. Yui was secretly glad, though, to have a friend in track and field. Running was fun and all, but it could get real boring real fast, and Yui was glad to have a friend to talk to most of the time. Personally, Yui was surprised to find out, firsthand, that Chitose was surprisingly good at athletics. Sure, she wasn't a good runner, but the white-haired girl had, in the short few months of being in the club, set some school records for the long jump.

They had all grown up to find their niche in life, Yui reflected. Chitose had certainly found something she was good at; Ayano's passion for being actively involved in supporting the school and its students carried with her from middle school, and even as a first year student she was already making waves; Kyouko, in traditional Kyouko fashion, joined the manga drawing club, where she even met some devout fans of her doujin - all in all, a far cry from the unproductive days of the Amusement Club.

They'd matured beyond that, too - having grown their social circles. Kyouko, for instance, had been asked out on dates by a few (okay, a lot) of their classmates; something which, in retrospect, was bound to happen. In fact, it happened so much that it was christened _Toshinou Fever_ \- whenever a boy or girl fell for the blonde's 'endless charm and supreme looks'. Which made this next question (Yui told herself) _completely_ justified:

"Say, Chitose…" Yui began, "...have you ever dated anyone?"

"Ah, so that's what it's about, huh?" Chitose smiled knowingly, and Yui felt like an idiot for trying to pull one over the great and mighty Chitose Ikeda. "You can trust me, you know," Chitose said teasingly, "I promise I won't tell anyone."

Yui contemplated coming clean to her friend. She knew Chitose wouldn't tell anyone; the girl was far too respectful to spread secrets. And hell, Yui was just feeling confused and frustrated and she just needed someone to tell her what all these new feelings meant. With that in mind, she decided to throw caution to the wind.

"So there's this girl in our class I like," _Keep it vague, Yui._

"Ah." Chitose interrupted, as if it was obvious who it was. Yui certainly hoped it wasn't. "So you've caught Toshinou Fever too, huh?"

The absurdity of the statement cause Yui to temporarily forget how to walk, resulting in the raven haired girl tumbling to the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow…" Yui whimpered slightly. Chitose extended a hand to help her up, which she graciously accepted. The pair moved to the side to make way for some of the runners behind them; each one asking her if she was okay.

"I'm fine, really - I just tripped on a rock." Yui reassured for the umpteenth time, starting her pace up again, her companion following suit. When she was sure that no one was within hearing range of them, she turned to Chitose.

" _Kyouko?_ Seriously?" Nothing against her best friend, but she wasn't exactly her own idea of someone dateable. Everyone who'd caught 'Toshinou Fever' had _clearly_ never spent any time cleaning up after the blonde.

"Huh, it's not Kyouko?" Chitose genuinely looked surprised; Yui didn't know whether that was a good or bad sign. "I always figured you two had some 'childhood friends fall in love with each other' thing going on. I mean, she's pretty touchy with you." Chitose had been reading way too many romance novels, Yui noted to herself.

"No, that's just Kyouko being Kyouko." Yui deadpanned.

"Hm, okay then." Yui was surprised at the speed at which Chitose accepted this revelation. "So who's the lucky girl?"

Yui felt her throat dry. Ah, _the question_. "It's…" Yui stumbled over her words, wondering why, exactly, did she find it so hard to just say who it was. It wasn't as if Yui had any reservations about telling Chitose - rather, it was almost as if she didn't want to say it out loud, because that would make it all too real.

"It's...Uh…." _Oh just say it already damnit_ "...A-Ayano. Like our friend Ayano. N-Not that I know any other Ayanos, of course." _You are such an idiot_. She chastised herself, not for the first time that day.

Chitose _really_ looked surprised now. "Ayano?" She asked, "I can't really say I'm surprised," _Her face doesn't exactly reflect that,_ Yui thought to herself, "You two have gotten a lot closer this year, and she does talk about you a lot more now…"

Yui tuned out the rest of whatever Chitose was saying; her mind was far too focused on her newfound revelation. _She talks about me more now?_ Yui's cheeks would've heated up, had they not already been red from exercise. What did it mean? Maybe - just maybe - the other girl returned her feelings as well? _Wait, that's ridiculous. Her saying stuff to Chitose doesn't really mean anything._

Yui knew she was getting ahead of herself.

"...so I guess what I'm really trying to say is, go for it, Yui!" Chitose concluded her monologue by flashing a grin at Yui while giving her two thumbs up, displaying her support. The pair stopped running, the school bell having gone, and the duo made their way towards a nearby water fountain, the white-haired girl bending down to take a drink.

"Well, I don't know…" It was the truth. If there was one thing Yui was absolutely certain of right now, it was simply that she really, _really_ did not know how to deal with all her newfound feelings. "But I can't just go up to her and ask 'Hey Ayano you want to, like, be my girlfriend or something?', can I?" Yui asked, her tone biting with sarcasm.

"Well, you certainly _can_ -" Chitose teased in return, "but that doesn't mean you _should_. Just, like, ask her out on a date - it'll let you decide if your feelings are genuine or not."

"I guess…" Yui lay down on the ground, pushing her back up against a nearby tree, "I don't know if I'd have the courage to ask something like that out of the blue, though…"

"Well, at the very least, you can just ask her to hang out with you. That's kind of like a date, I suppose." Chitose sat down next to Yui, crossing her legs, "And hey, you couldn't have chosen a better time for this. It's Friday, remember? Just ask her if she's free on Saturday or something."

"And what if she's not?" Yui asked.

"Then you try again some other time." Chitose countered.

"What if it makes things weird between us?"

"It won't, and you know it won't."

Yui sighed, tilting her head back to stare through the canopy of leaves above her - at the blue sky that should've been there. "Why is love so hard, Chitose?" She asked, exasperated.

"It wouldn't be fun otherwise." Chitose sagely stated, "And if it makes you feel any better…"

"Yeah?" Yui would get comfort wherever she could take it.

"The fact that you've actually admitted the possibility of liking someone," Chitose smirked, "means you're already more honest with yourself than Ayano ever was."

* * *

Yui struggled to say something.

No, really. The routine walk back with Ayano contained a fair amount of silence - which was fine, since they were both naturally silent people - but it always was a comfortable silence, where the two of them were just content to be in each other's presence after a long day in school. This was a stifling silence; at least, it certainly felt that way on Yui's side. Ayano walked by without concern, fingers idly playing with the hem of her shirt and- _stop staring at her you idiot._

Yui struggled to pop the question ( _you know, now that I think it out loud that way it's almost like I'm going to propose to her… wait, did I really just think that_ ) and her time was running short, as she spotted the familiar traffic light a few blocks away that represented their separating point. Gulping, she steeled her resolve, her hand tightening around her bag strap.

 _It's just hanging out - it's not any different to any other time you've asked her to come to your house._ _Except it totally is because this is the first time you've actually asked her out to hang out with you alone and in like what's basically a date._

Yui was so absorbed in giving herself a pep talk that she didn't notice her surroundings - a fact she demonstrated by walking directly into a traffic light, her forehead colliding with the metal pole in a loud clang.

"Yui!" Ayano cried out in concern as the girl in question leant against a nearby wall, rubbing small circles on her forehead. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah..." _Embarrassing yourself in front of your crush - nice going, Yui_. "I-I'm fine. Don't worry about it, Ayano."

"Well, if you're sure…" Ayano eyed Yui, as if trying to get Yui to admit her injuries, "I'll see you on Monday, then. Have a good weekend!" The violet-haired girl started to walk away, but Yui, seeing her chance slip before her fingers, panicked.

"Wait, Ayano!" She cried out.

Ayano turned back. "Yeah?"

"Are you free, uhm… I mean, do you want to, uhh…" _When did I develop a stuttering problem?_

Yui cleared her throat, taking a moment to collect her thoughts, as well as remember Chitose's limited - but still helpful - advice. "If you're free tomorrow, we could hang out. I mean, if you want to…?" Yui didn't think just saying a sentence could make someone blush, but she was clearly wrong if the heat in her cheeks was any indication.

Luckily for her, she wasn't the only one. Ayano's face took on a noticeable shade of pink, as she struggled to reply: "Uh… just the two of us?"

"Yeah." Yui confirmed, only to retract her statement at the stale silence that followed, "I-I mean, if you're not comfortable with that, I could always ask Kyouko if she's free." Not that the blonde ever wasn't.

"No, no!" Ayano waved her hands frantically, "I was just making sure. So, uh, what do you want to do?"

"Uh…" _Damnit, Chitose._ Yui hadn't thought that far in advance yet. "Lunch?"

"Sounds good to me." Ayano replied, almost… shyly? "Uh, there's this new place that opened up recently that I've wanted to try, if you don't mind going…"

"Sure!" Yui replied (perhaps far too enthusiastically), glad that _she_ wasn't the one that had to make plans. How, again, hadn't she actually thought about what and where to go? "So, I'll see you tomorrow then. Text me name of the place tonight?"

"O-Okay." Ayano replied, stuttering (much to Yui's confusion). "See you tomorrow, then. Bye!" Yui was about to reply before Ayano turned tail and nearly ran back in the direction of her house.

"Yeah, bye…" Yui called out to the disappearing silhouette. She waited before Ayano was out of hearing range (not that that took much time at all) before letting out a massive sigh, dragging herself back in the direction of her apartment, her heart fluttering in anticipation. "Well…" Yui looked up at the sky, orange rays filtering through thick clouds as the sun reached the horizon, "I guess it's a date."

Amidst the chilly autumn winds that stripped the trees of their leaves, Yui felt strangely warm on the walk back home, her mind clouded with thoughts of a violet-haired girl.

* * *

 **Hah, Yui/Ayano. I'm as surprised as you are.**

 **In other news, Yuru Yuri S3 is over :( my heart can't take this damnit**


	2. And Flannel Sleeves

**Wowsers it's Chapter 2 - that's a first for me. Hey, 'New Year New Me' ahaha no.**

 **Can I just forewarn y'all that there's no 'big payoff' to be had here.**

* * *

Yui absentmindedly ran her fingers along her shirt, thinking it incredibly ironic that she was wearing flannel of all things today. It was the only flannel shirt she owned, which made it even worse - though she was certainly grateful for the warmth it provided against the occasional gust of wind that would whip her hair in all sorts of directions. She didn't really mean to wear this of all things - and she certainly hoped Ayano didn't know (or at least wouldn't point out) its potential message - it was just that, well, she'd run out of stuff to wear.

It wasn't even _technically_ her fault. Fridays were usually her laundry day - it was just that this Friday she was a bit preoccupied with, ah, homework. Yes, schoolwork. Well, if schoolwork involved obsessively fretting over her da- _hangout_ , Yui corrected herself, with Ayano.

Friday night was spent in thorough anticipation for the next day - and as such, her Saturday morning was spent running around the house realising she had _absolutely nothing to wear_. And while that might have been ideal in a future time ( _Goddamnit Yui, keep your mind out of the gutter!_ ), it certainly was nothing short of obscene horror at 9 A.M. today. So, in conclusion, it was _totally_ her fault.

She was understandably relieved when she spotted her old red-checkered flannel shirt lying in one of those boxes she'd stowed away. Sure, its age certainly showed - the cuffs of the sleeves just barely touched her wrists, and she had to leave a button unbuttoned just to be able to breathe, but overall Yui certainly considered it an accomplishment that she didn't leave the house topless (or worse, in one of her old pajama shirts) today.

Yui raised her phone to check the time - she'd previously had it in her pocket, but decided to just hold onto it after the fifteenth repeat of this. _11:43_ , it said, and Yui tried not to think about the fact that she'd arrived half an hour early to their meetup point. Well, at any rate, she really liked spending time with herself - so she didn't mind. Not in a lonely, brooding way (okay, maybe _sometimes_ in a lonely, brooding way), but Yui was a natural introvert and was thus accustomed to settling for self-entertainment.

Living alone would do that to you.

She raised her phone again - _11:45_. _Fifteen more minutes..._

"Oh, Yui! Over here!"

Yui snapped her head to see Ayano across the street, the violet-haired girl waving enthusiastically at her. Yui gave a weak wave in return, too distracted by the sight of Ayano, donned in a spotted red dress that just reached the top of her knees; the rest of her legs covered in her signature black leggings. She threw on a denim jacket above all that contrasted nicely with both her hair and her dress - and was that _makeup_ that Yui saw on Ayano's face? Either way, the other girl had clearly put some effort into dressing up today.

Yui tugged at her shirt, her face burning in embarrassment. Why, oh why, couldn't she just have remembered to _do the damn laundry yesterday_? She could've been wearing that white top that she knew fit her well, or really anything that wasn't this stupid red flannel shirt that hugged her frame just _slightly_ too much.

"I'm, um, really sorry about the shirt," Yui blurted out, thinking she should at least offer _some_ sort of apology, "It was just I forgot to do the laundry yesterday and this was the last shirt I have so…sorry." Yui finished lamely.

"No!" Ayano denied, "I think it looks fine on you! It, really, um, complements your skin tone!"

Yui knew that it was a blatant lie, of course, but that didn't prevent a smile from working its way up to the raven-haired girl's face. "Thanks."

"So, uh, shall we go?" Ayano interjected, probably to change the subject more than anything, "The restaurant's only a few streets away."

"Sure," Yui agreed, and the pair began to walk towards their destination, "So, I guess we didn't talk all that much yesterday." _No reason in particular, of course._ "How was your week?"

No one ever said Yui was good at small talk.

* * *

"Chitose still won't let go of that, you know. I mean, it was _just_ a middle school crush! Well, I guess it is pretty funny in retrospect."

"Once again, not that I'm judging or anything - but seriously, Kyouko?"

"She can be… endearing, sometimes." Ayano admitted with a blush, "And clearly something works about her, since the guys and girls in our class," Ayano rolled her eyes here, "just happen to flock to her like moths to a flame."

"Jealous?" Yui teased with a grin, to which Ayano mock-glared in reply, "Well, I suppose you can always claim to be _the_ patient zero of Toshinou Fever."

Ayano simply snorted, ending the conversation by stabbing a shrimp with her fork. Yui returned to her own food as well: a simple spaghetti carbonara, one of Yui's favorite meals - though more often than not, she ate it self-prepared. Fortunately, the restaurant Ayano had chosen specialised in all manners of pasta (the other girl had elected just to order a pasta salad), and the chef's talent showed in the incredible taste of Yui's dish. Amazing food aside, the cafe had a certain rustic charm to it - small tables clustered together, each with a flower pot as a centerpiece; nostalgic pop music playing in the background, which Yui found herself humming to; and their unique drinks (what even _was_ a Mint Verbena?) served in Mason jars, complete with bendy straws and miniature umbrellas.

All of it justified the half an hour both of them had to wait outside, in the cold, to get a table.

Not that she didn't appreciate the time. It turned out she _could_ do small talk - or rather, that her and Ayano had grown so accustomed with one another that she had no problem idly chatting with the violet-haired girl. They talked about all sorts of things: how they were adjusting to high school life (Ayano found it stressful more than anything); what Ayano was doing in the Student Council (she was currently involved in trying to increase funding to various clubs); and even what their juniors were doing back in middle school (Yui lamented the loss of the Amusement Club, as Chinatsu and Akari actually became the founding members of the newly reformed Tea Club).

For all this, however, Yui still had one topic - or rather, question in particular - that she'd been eager to bring up.

"So, uh, Ayano…" Yui gulped, "Are you, um… seeing anyone right now?"

She was pretty sure the answer would be no - in fact, she was almost certain about it - but it was always good to check. After all, she didn't want to pursue a lost cause.

"No!" Ayano _squeaked_ , "W-Whatever gave you that idea?"

Yui was too busy trying to keep the uncharacteristic smile off of her face to try and think of an excuse. "Uh, nothing," She was grasping at straws here, "I mean, I was just wondering. You are pretty popular, you know?"

"I am?" Ayano looked genuinely surprised at this.

"Well, yeah." Yui recalled everything her classmates had said about Ayano, "People see you as someone they can depend on. I mean, you _are_ Class President and all. And you're friendly to everyone you meet, and it doesn't hurt that you're pretty c-"

Yui cut herself off, dropping her speech as she _just realised_ what she was about to say. Good friends or not, it would be pretty awkward to call Ayano cute. Not that she didn't deserve the title.

And in retrospect, maybe she could have gone for it, because the conversation dropped into a decidedly awkward silence - though maybe not for the reasons she thought. Looking over to the other girl, she saw Ayano sport a blush - red cheeks that were puffed up slightly as the corners of her mouth were pulled up in a small smile. The violet-haired girl looked away almost the moment Yui stared at her, and Yui was perfectly content with just, like, _not_ maintaining eye contact.

She had no way to confirm it, but Yui had a sneaking suspicion her own face mirrored Ayano's right now.

"...as I was saying, it doesn't hurt that you're pretty cool. Trust me, you might not be directly popular, but everyone in class certainly looks up to you."

"Well, I've…" Ayano stumbled over her words - Yui was glad she wasn't the only one, "I've never really thought about it that way, I guess."

Silence, once again.

Why was it suddenly so hard to talk? Yui berated herself for her poor topic choice. Things had been going so well, too, before she just _had_ to ask the other girl about her dating history. Yui tried to think of something - anything, really - else to talk about, but Ayano beat her to the punch.

"Well, what about you, Yui… are you dating anyone?"

"I, uh, um…" _No,_ was the phrase - syllable, even - that Yui was trying to articulate, and utterly failed to.

"Oh, uh, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine!" Ayano added, "If you want to keep it a secret, that's fine too."

"No, no…" Yui was shaking her head. Well, she got that much out, at least. "I mean, uh, no. No, I'm not seeing anyone else right now. I'm still single and ready to mingle." Her poor attempt at a joke made the raven-haired girl want to just sink under the table for an extended period of time.

Why was she feeling so… nervous right now? Her heart was beating much faster than it had any right to have, and her palms felt so warm and shaky she laid them flat against her seat just to hold her arms steady. Why had she even brought this topic up in the first place?

They settled for eating the remainder of their food in silence, Yui having no idea what else she could bring up to revitalise their conversation - or at the very least, alleviate the awkward air between the two of them. When Yui had finally cleaned her plate (it _was_ really good food), she asked the other girl if she was ready to leave.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Ayano said, albeit slightly quietly. Once again, Yui cursed herself and her amazingly adept conversation skills. She signalled a waiter for the bill, who left in a hurry to tally their order. "So, uh…" Yui's mind drew a blank. So much for 'revitalising conversation'. "What should we do after this?"

"Oh, I was wondering the same thing," Ayano replied (with mild enthusiasm, Yui noted with relief), "I was thinking we could go window shopping? We _are_ close to a shopping district, after all."

"Sounds good to me." The waiter handed Yui the bill, and there was an unspoken agreement between the duo that they were going to split the bill. Yui rummaged through her wallet, producing a few notes which she handed to Ayano, who promptly paid for their meal. They both stood up, Yui still keeping largely silent.

"Alright, then," Ayano bent down to take one last sip of her lemon tea, " _lettuce_ _leaf_ this place." Yui could practically _hear_ the grin in Ayano's voice.

Yui paused for a bit. "Well, we'd better get there _pasta_ \- it's almost two o' clock."

"I can guaran- _tea_ we'll get there in time, Yui."

They both had the courtesy to wait until they got to the sidewalk before bursting out in laughter, Yui laughing directly into her hand, while Ayano seemed content with giggling all the while.

"Can I just say," Ayano managed to get out between laughs, "you're literally the only person under the sun who appreciates my puns, Yui."

Yui had to take a deep breath to stop herself, "Well, clearly everyone else just lacks the intrinsic appreciation we share for puns."

"Truly, the finest form of humor." Ayano said solemnly. Yui nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Yui?" Ayano said, pulling at her hair to adjust her ponytail.

"Yeah?" She replied. The girl beside her grew silent, as if in an internal debate.

"It's nice…" Yui could see Ayano desperately trying to hold back a grin, "to _flannelly_ be able to hang out like this."

* * *

If there was one downside to this outing - if it could be even called a downside, that is - is that Yui only found more reasons to like Ayano.

Punny (Yui took a moment to laugh at herself, mainly in a self-depreciating way) jokes aside, Ayano actually displayed an amazing eye for fashion - and this showed in the way she was just able to know _which_ colors would naturally fit together. When questioned on it, Ayano seemed pretty defensive - "Oh, no, um, I've just read books on it, is all!"

Suspicious, sure, but Yui didn't probe further. She was content with simply being dragged around by her violet-haired friend as they visited fashion stores of all kinds: modern, trendy clothing lines (Ayano tried to convince Yui to buy some shirts, and Yui had to reiterate that _no,_ she had a collection of _much_ more fashionable tops); they visited a shoe shop at one point (where Yui and Ayano discussed the _physical possibility_ of some of the heels on sale); and Ayano had dragged Yui into a hat shop, throwing a fedora on the raven-haired girl, "Just to see what it looks like," Ayano assured.

Either way, true to their word, they ended up spending three hours 'shopping' - without actually spending a single cent. Some would call it a waste of time, but Yui at the very least gained a new appreciation for fashion.

For instance, matching orange with green was 'nothing short of a crime against fashion', as Ayano had scandalously pointed out to Yui as they observed passersby from a bench.

The sun was just above the horizon as they reached the last store on the shopping district (a clothing store boasting 'functional fashion' - dresses with pockets being their main attraction) and Ayano had already motioned to turn back to their starting point, before Yui saw something out of the corner of her eye.

A bright yellow sundress, currently donned by a mannequin sitting behind a glass window.

 _I guess we did miss a shop_ , Yui thought to herself, eyeing the dress all the while. It was - to be honest - entirely too girly for her. Yellow didn't really suit her; she found the color to look pretty childish on her, and its cheerful color matched someone like Kyouko a lot more than her. More pressingly, Yui Funami and dresses simply did not go together. Yui didn't own a single dress; or rather, she never found the need to. A shirt, paired with jeans or a skirt, was really her standard attire. Hell, the most dress-like article of clothing she owned was _her middle school uniform._

All that said, she couldn't help but gaze longingly at the yellow dress.

"Oh, Yui, what are you…" Ayano trailed off as Yui snapped back into attention.

"Oh, sorry. I was just looking." She tore her gaze off the shopfront and onto Ayano, "C'mon, let's go."

"Were… were you looking at that dress?" Ayano asked, motioning towards the yellow sundress. _Damnit, Ayano, why do you know me so well?_ How'd the other girl know, out of all the dresses on display, which one she was fixated on? Either way, Yui supposed it wouldn't exactly hurt to tell her.

"Uh, yeah…" Yui's voice took on a guilty tone, "I thought it would be cute. Not on me, of course!"

"What're you talking about? I think it'd look amazing on you!" Ayano grabbed Yui's hand ( _Wow, her hands are so soft_ ) and she led both of them into the shop, the violet-haired girl seeking out the clothes rack with the yellow dress. It was, of course, located right at the front, and she got right to searching for Yui's size.

Yui, meanwhile, was still dazed as Ayano suddenly shoved the dress into her hands, motioning her towards the store's fitting room, encouraging her to "Go try it on!"

"Uh, wait, what?" Yui sputtered, "There's no way I'd get this! I don't even own any dresses!"

"Then this can be your first one," Ayano firmly retorted, "You won't know until you try it, right? Don't worry, it'll take like, five minutes at most."

Conceding defeat, Yui walked into the cramped stall, sliding the curtain closed behind her.

She didn't even dare take a good look at her reflection before she stepped out. "Well?" She called out to Ayano, already dreading the answer. The violet-haired girl was silent for a while, and Yui groaned. She _knew_ she just wasn't suited for dresses.

"Um…" Ayano seemed to be at a loss for words, "It looks… reallyreallycuteonyou!" She hurriedly finished, looking away suddenly.

"You…" _She's still trying to be nice about it?_ "...you don't have to lie, you know. I know I'm just not suited to wear dresses."

"No, no, it's not that!" She rushed forward and grabbed Yui's (now bare) shoulders, "You look super duper cute! I'm being serious!" She added the last part upon seeing Yui's doubtful look, "It'd be such a waste not to get this! I mean, I guess you can't really wear it now, but you can still get it for summer!"

Ayano's face was so close to hers right now, and her soft hands lay on her shoulders - Yui was sorely tempted to return the favor and pull the other girl close for a kiss, just to see what it'd feel like.

...Hey, she was already in a dress. _My inhibitions are just gone today._

Electing to preserve her common sense instead, Yui simply broke away from the other girl's grasp and took a good look at herself via a nearby full-length mirror. She didn't really see any of the 'super duper cute' Ayano claimed existed - or really, any of the 'cute' at all. If anything, she really just felt self-conscious at the amount of skin she was baring right now. Yet, despite all of that…

"...You really think I look cute?" Yui twirled her body awkwardly, watching herself in the mirror.

Ayano nodded, "I've never actually seen you in a dress before."

"That's probably because I don't own any." Yui admitted with a rueful chuckle, only to hear her friend gasp in surprise.

"In that case," Once again, Ayano grabbed Yui's shoulders (this time from the back) and stepped forward, placing herself right behind Yui's reflection, "I must _insist_ you buy this, Yui."

* * *

It did take a fair amount more to convince Yui, but in the end the duo left the shop one yellow sundress richer.

"I guess we should head back now." Yui commented - the sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon, and she'd really like to be able to get home before it got too dark out.

"Yeah." Ayano agreed as they backtracked, passing all the places they'd visited this afternoon for a second time. "I'd better get going before it gets too dark."

Yui needed to enact her master plan _now_.

"Um," Yui started, and she felt like slapping herself for it. Seriously, what was with her and getting tongue-tied around Ayano? "I-I could walk you home, if you like."

"Oh! You really don't have to, you know." Ayano's initial (what Yui hoped was) eagerness was encouraging, at least. "If anything, I should be the one walking you home, since you live alone."

"I-It's fine," Yui responded, shaking her head, "I'd really much rather make sure you get home safely."

"Well, i-if you insist, then…" Ayano toyed with the hem of her jacket, "I certainly don't mind."

The two of them spent the rest of the walk idly chatting - something reminiscent of earlier that afternoon, when they were waiting outside the restaurant. To be frank, Yui was just surprised at how easy it could be to talk to Ayano - even if both of them were known for being socially awkward. _Birds of a feather,_ she reasoned. They passed the bench Yui was originally sitting on this morning, before Yui noticed some people hurriedly walking around them. _Wait, what..._

"Yui," Ayano suddenly stopped moving, looking up at the sky, "is it just me, or is it raining?"

The first few drops hit Yui's shoulders - and she groaned. Sure, it had been overcast the whole day (the whole week, really), but why did it have to rain _right now_ of all times? Why not, say, five minutes earlier, when the two were still blissfully under the cover of concrete? As it was…

"How far away is your house from here?" Yui asked, quickly pulling both of them under a nearby tree, bringing their bodies together to maximise their cover. _It's not the only thing you're maximising, eheh._

"Uh…" Ayano's face was red - Yui hoped she wasn't about to catch a cold - but she managed to stammer out, "a-about twenty minutes' walk, I'd say?"

"There's no way you'll be able to walk in the rain for that long…" The rain was only getting heavier - the two of them would have to figure out a plan soon. "Hm… what about taking the train?"

"Oh, that could be a good idea!" Ayano exclaimed, "The station's only three minutes away from my house, if that. But are there any train stations near here?"

"Yeah, there's one, I took the train to get here…" Yui gulped as she realised the flaw in her plan, "But it's, uh, a five minutes' walk away."

"Well, then, what do we do?" Ayano whispered in a panicked tone. Yui saw her point - the rain was coming down even faster now, and droplets of rainwater had begun to trickle around them, having pierced the thin canopy of leaves. In five minutes, there'd be no doubt - the two of them would be soaked.

 _There's no way we could get there without getting soaking wet…_

Yui had an idea.

It was not a good idea, not at all - she knew that much. But she also knew that it _was_ an idea, and time was running short. Ayano and her needed to get to the train station, after all.

She grabbed Ayano's hand with her right, and used her left to hold the paper bag against her chest. Maybe the flannel shirt _was_ a good idea after all.

"Yui, what're you-"

The raven-haired girl ignored Ayano's question in favor of taking off straight into the rain.

Ayano, surprisingly enough, seemed to understand immediately, and together the two of them raced down the sidewalk, Yui leading Ayano as she felt the first of many raindrops hit her shoulders and back.

 _It's a left in two blocks… I think._ Yui was trying to remember, she really was, but half of her attention was focused on pointing out to herself just how soft - and warm, now that they were in the rain - Ayano's hand was. Their fingers were interlocked, and as many cliches as Yui had found herself indulging in recently, she had one more:

In this moment - with the rain now relentlessly beating down upon them, as they were making a mad dash through the streets in town - Ayano's fingers seemed to fit perfectly in hers.

She made a left, and Ayano followed suit. "Okay, it's just down this road!" Yui called out to the other girl, who nodded and picked up the pace, eventually coming up to Yui's right side.

"You know," the violet-haired girl half-shouted across the rain, "this is pretty fun!"

And for a split second, Yui witnessed it - _the silliest grin_ on Ayano's face, her mouth stretched as wide as possible and her eyes sparkling with mirth. Yui couldn't help but feel her heart jump; her body feeling light and warm despite the heavy, cold rain around them. But most of all, she couldn't help but return the grin in equal measure, gripping Ayano's hand even tighter as she closed the distance between them.

Maybe this was what she was missing in life - the exhilaration of something _new_ , something _fresh_ in her life, to break away from the routine she'd held onto for so long. This was exactly what she needed - no, _craved_ \- some grand adventure to take her away; someone to push her to try new things, like buying a dress. Ayano. Someone to _run in the rain with_. Ayano. It occurred to Yui, more so in this moment than any other, that Ayano might've been what she'd been looking for in life.

They ran in this way, shoulders inches apart from each others', all the way until Yui stopped right outside a blue-roofed building. She pulled the other girl under the blue roof, and together they leant against the nearest wall, Yui taking a moment to regain her senses (and her breath). She moved the paper bag off her chest, peering inside.

"Is it alright?" Ayano asked.

"It looks alright," Yui said, inspecting the bag's contents dubiously, "I think."

Ayano closed her eyes, and Yui followed suit, taking deep breaths to try and regulate her heartbeat. Her hands unconsciously clenched up, and it was then that she realised: her right hand was still _very_ firmly grasping Ayano's left. It seemed the sudden movement alerted Ayano too, because the violet-haired girl snapped her eyes open.

For one precious second, both their gazes were fixed upon their conjoined hands.

The magic moment shattered - Yui realised she really had no reason to still be holding onto the other girl's hand - and their fingers slipped away from each other, Yui awkwardly sliding her right hand into her jean pocket, almost trying to substitute its warmth for Ayano's.

"Um." Yui tried to say words - she really did - but they just wouldn't leave her mouth. Not when she'd just held onto her crush's hand like it was her lifeline. Not when her heartbeat soared around the other girl; now, standing under the wonderful shelter of a plastic roof, she could no longer chalk it up to sprinting. And most certainly not when she _had absolutely no idea_ what Ayano was thinking right now.

"I guess… I guess we should go now?" Ayano meekly asked, breaking up the silence.

"Y-Yeah." Damnit, what was wrong with her today?

Silence elapsed once more - the two of them wordlessly moving into the train station, passing the entrance gates. Yui led the way - left, right, left - until Ayano spoke up.

"Oh, Yui, my train line's this way." She pointed to the right path.

"Oh, uh…" She hadn't expected it to end this abruptly; really, she'd initially planned - at least in some shape or form - to be able to bid the other girl goodnight as she dropped her off at her house. This wasn't really what she anticipated - that they'd split ways in a train station corridor.

 _Then again, maybe life shouldn't always go according to plan._

At any rate, she had to say something.

"T-Thanks, Ayano." She looked into Ayano's eyes, "I had a lot of fun today."

"No, no, it should be me who's thanking you!" Ayano responded, "It was you that arranged this whole thing, after all."

 _That's right, it was._ In the whole scheme of things - awkward lunches and chic boutiques - she'd really forgotten it was _her_ who'd asked the other girl to hang out. Well, it was really Chitose, to be precise. But she neglected to mention that.

"I'd, um…" Yui wondered if she was being too forward here, "I'd love it if we could do this, you know, again. Some other time."

"Yeah, me too." Ayano gave her a smile - one that simply made Yui's heart melt.

Almost unconsciously, she moved in for a hug - and Ayano reciprocated, stepping forward to wrap her own arms around the ravenette as well. It wasn't uncommon for them; Kyouko, as Chitose had reminded her about earlier, was prone to giving hugs, and Yui certainly had her fair share every time the blonde came over to her apartment. They were all used to it - this wasn't even the first time Yui had hugged Ayano.

But there was no doubt that this hug was just _different_. Maybe it was in the way Ayano pressed her body against hers, flannel rubbing against cotton; maybe it was in the way that Yui's own arms clung tightly around Ayano's back, despite the cold rainwater seeping from her denim jacket onto her palms; or, really, maybe it was just in the way that she'd never before felt the temptation to break away from the hug to kiss the other girl before.

They stayed that way for a long, long time - of that much Yui was certain - holding each other, Yui catching the faint scent of Ayano's vanilla shampoo amidst hearing - no, _feeling_ \- Ayano's heartbeat alongside hers. All those romance stories she read were very clearly exaggerated, for their heartbeats were completely out of sync - Ayano's heart pumping much faster than her own.

Then, a crackle of static.

 _The train is now approaching the station. All passengers wishing to board the Naoetsu Line, please..._

Ayano pulled away, and Yui quickly followed suit, her arms already missing the violet-haired girl's warmth. Dimly, in the back of her mind, Yui wondered how the other girl would react if she just stepped forward to embrace her again. _It'd probably be worth it_.

"W-Well," Ayano waved shakily, breaking Yui's train of thought, "I guess that's my cue." She smiled at Yui again.

"Alright." Yui smiled back.

"See you on Monday." Ayano's train pulled up right behind her, and the violet-haired girl moved to get on it.

"You too." Yui called out to her retreating back, giving the girl a small wave with her right hand - the hand that, just moments ago, had been interlocked with Ayano's own.

Ayano boarded the train, and Yui watched as the train left the station, before turning and walking off in the direction of her own. _Four more minutes,_ she noted to herself, idly sitting herself down on a nearby bench. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the rain as she gave herself a moment - for the first time today - to just _relax_.

The rain was coming down much, much heavier now - she was extremely glad she'd made the decision to sprint to the train station - but the cold autumn air, icy on her skin as it was, only made Yui long for Ayano's warmth all that much more.

* * *

 **And that's it. No, I'm serious.**

 **I was trying to go for a theme/mood of awkward first love here - not that I was necessarily basing it off anything personal, of course. In any case, I felt like this was an appropriate way to end this whole story; if anyone feels like they can continue on from this, by all means, please do. For now, though, I think I'm going to leave it as is.**


End file.
